


Debate

by Sa1989



Category: Holby City
Genre: Drug Addiction, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:15:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23874562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sa1989/pseuds/Sa1989
Summary: Guy shelf's return sparks a debate that could destroy ange's relationship with Dom for good
Relationships: Adrian "Fletch" Fletcher/Ange Goddard, Essie Harrison/Sacha Levy
Kudos: 9





	Debate

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment telling me what you think. I did try to be respectful of the topic of drug addiction

Dom was at the pub having a drink with angel fletch essie and Sachs when the topic of guy shelf's return came up.  
"I can't believe the board is willing to hire him again" fletch remarked  
"I think we know that max is behind this" angels replied, even though she had never met him she knew he was a surgeon who lost his career because of drinking.  
"Maybe but he did save jac" Sachs reasoned, he would always be grateful to guy for that  
"Yes but that doesn't change the fact that he is a alcoholic who takes far to many risks" flecth commented, he for one had voted against guy's reinstatement  
"Surely the he wouldn't be back if he wasn't sober" essie said trying to be the voice of reason. Dom had stayed quite during the argument because while he hated the man for what he had put zosia through, Dom respected his skills as a surgeon besides he didn't think it was fair to use guy's alcoholism against him if he was on the wagon.  
"Yeah okay, maybe he's sober at the moment but who knows how long that will last"  
"How do you know he won't stay sober?" Essie asked  
"Come on essie, we all know that once a addict always a addict" Ange stated  
"So you don't think people can change and overcome their addiction" Sacha questions  
"No because addicts are selfish people who don't care about anyone else" Ange argued back  
"Ange I don't think that is necessary true in all cases" Sachs said whilst trying to get her to stop.  
"You don't know what you're talking about, some people turn to drug use to cope with their lives" Dom snapped at Ange in anger  
" Maybe we should just calm down" Sacha said knowing this was about to get ugly.  
"I do know what I'm talking about because I have see it with someone who swore they would get clean but they never did" Ange told her son not knowing how he could be so naive. Dom just shook his head and pushed past her because he wasn't in the mood to hear her opinion on drug addicts. Sacha watched Dom storm off with concern because he knew Dom would take ange's comments personally.  
"Ange you have no idea what you have just done" Sacha said in a sad tone  
"What do you mean?" Ange asked in a confused voice  
"please just keep your opinions to yourself from now on" Sacha whispered as he decided to leave. Everyone just stared at each other having no clue why both Sacha and Dom were upset.

Dom took his time walking home, he knew that Ange hadn't been talking about him but it still hurt. Dom also feared that if she ever found out about his past steroid use then she wouldn't want anything to do with him. When Dom finally made it back to his flat, he found Sachs waiting for him. Dom just nodded and let him into the flat, Dom knew sacha would have known how much ange's comments affected him. As they sat down the living room, sacha started the conversation by asking Dom if he was ok  
"No not really" Dom admitted with a shrug  
"Dom I'm sure if Ange knew about your past then she would be supportive" sacha said in a soft tone  
"I doubt it, you heard her once a addict always a addict" Dom replied bitterly  
"Yeah, but as a parent the last thing in the world she would want is to hurt you" sacha knew this because he would die before hurting any of his children  
"Maybe but she would probably see me as just another junkie" Dom got up to get a glass of water  
"But if you explain your reason then maybe she would understand"  
"I don't have to justify my actions to her or anyone else because I'm clean and that should be all that matters " Dom snapped because he shouldn't be defined by his past actions  
"I didn't mean the you had to justify yourself to her, just that I think she would understand why you started to use steroids in the first place" sacha could see why Dom was so defensive but truly believe Ange would be supportive once she knw  
"How could she? She could never understand how it feels to be so scared of being unable to defend yourself that you freeze every time anyone raises their voice in case they decide to take their anger on you" Dom shook his head knowing no one could understand without going through it themselves  
"Oh Dom, I wish I had helped you more after isaac" sacha had always felt guilty for not helping Dom more  
"You couldn't have because I was even scared of you as crazy as that is" and it was crazy because sacha couldn't even hurt a fly  
"Yeah but I knew that something was wrong with you but I just assumed that it was isaac but maybe if I had pushed then maybe you would have told me about the steroids before it got out of control" sacha said  
"No I am the only one responsible for my addiction, yeah maybe it was isaac's abuse that drove me to using but there was other ways to handle what he did to me" Dom told him because the first thing he had learned at Narcotics Anonymous was that in order to get clean you must first accept responsibility for your addiction. 

Later that night Ange and Fletcher were getting ready for bed but fletch could see Ange was still worried about Dom.  
"Dom will be okay" Fletcher said as they were lying in bed  
"It not that, well not completely. Have I ever told you about my father" Ange replied as she pulled away from him  
"No, why?" Fletch sat up  
"My father was my hero when I was a kid but then he lost his job and started to drink. It almost killed me watching my mother try to take care of him while he slowly drank himself to death. He was always promising to get sober but he never did" ange wiped a tear from her eyes  
"Ange, I'm sorry you went through that. Maybe you should tell Dom that so he understands your opinion" Fletcher wrapped her in a hug  
"Yeah maybe"

The next day Dom was writing up some patient notes when Ange approached him, Dom looked up and frowned because after last night he wasn't in the mood to talk to her.  
"Can we talk?" Ange asked  
"No, you made your opinion clear last night" Dom snapped  
"Dom please?" Ange asked again because she was worried about how angry Dom was  
"Fine" Dom said before leading the way to the staff room. Dom stood in front of the sink with his arms crossed while Ange took a seat on the couch. “What do you want to say?” Dom said in a snarky tone  
“Dom I just don’t understand why you got so defensive and upset last night. Fletch said you don’t even like guy shelf” Ange said trying to calm him down  
“I don’t. he was a crap dad to Zosia but I respect the hell out of him for getting sober because it's isn't easy” Dom shrugged his shoulders because it was true. He would never be friends with the man but he would always defend anyone who had put in the hard work to get clean  
“Right, it’s really hard not to reach for the next bottle of booze” Ange replied in a dismissive tone  
“How would you know what it’s like to battle with addiction?” Dom said in a hard tone because he was sick of people’s attitude to addicts, Dom had been guilty of thinking badly of drug users in the past but since his own drug addiction he understood that the issue was more complicated than just deciding to stop.  
“I know everything about it because I watched my dad slowly drink himself to death. I saw him come home every night so pissed he couldn’t even make it up the stairs without help. He was always promising to stop drinking and he did, until he got more money for booze because he cared more about alcohol than me or my mum “ Ange told Dom as her voice broke with emotion as she remembered her dad  
“I’m sorry that you had to see that and I get why you hate him really I do but just because he didn’t stay sober doesn’t mean other people can’t beat their addiction” Dom said in a sad tone because he did feel for what Ange must’ve been through but he also understood what it was like for his grandfather.  
“Really? Well until you have see someone you love throw their life away for booze or drugs you’re not a expert on addiction” Ange retorted in a angry tone  
“You know what? This makes me a expert” Dom said as he slammed something on the table before walking out. After Dom had left Ange picked up the item up from the table and stared at it. In her hand was a small plastic black disc with the letters "NA" printed in the center, the weight of how much she had hurt her son hit her like a freight train as she began to cry. Ange got up from the table and decided she needed to talk to Sacha because it was obvious from his behavior last night that he knew about dom's addiction.  
Sachs looked up as he heard someone enter his office.  
"You know about dom's addiction don't you?" Ange asked as she entered the room  
"Yeah I do, so he told you then?"  
"Not quite, we got onto a argument and he slammed this down in front of me because he walked out" Ange said in a ashamed voice  
"You should really discuss this with him then" sacha said because he was not about to betray dom's trust  
"I just don't understand how this could have happened I mean didn't anyone notice the signs of his drug use?" ange asked needing someone or something to blame  
"This isn't my story to tell but I will say this if you can't be supportive then you will lose Dom for good." Sacha told her as he headed out of his office.

Dom was just leaving the hospital when Ange caught up with him.  
"Dom I want to apologise for what I said" Ange said as she stopped him  
"Forget it" Dom told her because he wasn't prepared for a another fight  
"No I mean it I would never have said what I did if I had of known" Ange would never forgive herself for hurting her son so badly  
"I know but it doesn't matter because I now know I will always be a junkie to you" Dom stated  
"No that's not true" Ange tried to deny it but knew deep down that it was true  
"Yeah it is but I will learn to live with that" Dom said as he walked away from ange


End file.
